Iceland – the glaciers

Ice sounds like a natural thing for Iceland. But in fact, only about 11% of the country is covered by glaciers. It is a peculiar combination, as the white caps sit mostly on top of volcanoes. Actually, the main damage caused by the volcanic eruptions is due to flash floods rather than lava flow!

The majesty of the ice is incredible to me, but it's hard to appreciate it during the rainy and foggy days. I have been to Jökulsárlón before (bike trip in 2010), but I have to admit that the gloomy weather completely spoiled its charm. This year, we managed to chase the sunshine and arrived at the glacier lagoon within a perfect window for pictures.

For those who like to explore some less known sites, Fjallsárlón would be a place to go. Especially that it's practically on the way to Jökulsárlón and very close to the road. It's a smaller lagoon, but it compensates with a nicer glacier (in my opinion at least).

Skaftá river is one of the biggest glacier rivers in the area. On the way from Vik to the East, this is the place where the large, black flood planes become a major part of the landscape for many kilometers. You don't want to camp on top of these.

The glacier lagoon in the afternoon sun. It's hard to believe the storm will come at night.

Hvannadalshnúkur comes down the mountains towards the sea. I really liked the shape of this ice tongue! So dynamic and beautiful combination of cold ice and warm autumn colours.